The NHS in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland (LLR) is to end the prescribing of gluten-free foods from 1 February 2025.
The decision was taken by the LLR Integrated Care Board (ICB) at its meeting today (12 December 2024), following a lengthy engagement process including a public consultation, and discussions with patient representative groups and clinicians including GPs, dietitians and pharmacists.
The ICB Board has recommended that additional support should be put in place for patients following diagnosis of coeliac disease and/or dermatitis herpetiformis, including advice and guidance on diet, lifestyle and staying healthy.
Dr Nil Sanganee, Chief Medical Officer for LLR ICB, said: “We would like to thank everyone who participated in the public consultation, sharing their experiences and views.
The ICB fully appreciates the impact of any proposed change on people and their families. In reaching what is a very difficult decision regarding gluten-free products on prescription, we have carefully considered all the evidence from financial, clinical and patient perspectives.”
The consultation attracted 1,468 responses with the majority of people disagreeing with the proposal to stop providing up to eight units of gluten-free bread or flour on prescription to people diagnosed with these two conditions. Coeliac disease is a condition where the immune system damages the gut when gluten is eaten. Dermatitis herpetiformis is a skin condition linked to coeliac disease.
Public consultation helps the NHS to understand the experiences of patients and the public and this feedback is then measured against other critical factors when ICBs make a final
decision on health services. Such factors include affordability, clinical need and clinical risk, and changes in external circumstances.
The ICB decision will save the NHS more than £250,000 a year, at a time of significant financial pressure on the health service. This move within LLR is in line with other parts of the
East Midlands that have taken similar decisions to remove gluten-free food prescribing.
Dr Sanganee added: “The ICB has to carefully consider health expenditure for all conditions, balancing it with clinical risk and patient needs.
For coeliac disease, there is now a much wider range of specific gluten-free products available than previously, in addition to the wide variety of naturally gluten-free food including fresh fruit and vegetables, meat, poultry, fish, cheese and eggs.
It is possible to eat a gluten-free diet that follows the Eatwell Guide for balanced eating without the need for any specialist dietary foods, simply by choosing naturally gluten-free carbohydrate containing food as part of a healthy balanced diet.”
People affected by the changes don’t need to do anything. They will be contacted in January 2025 via their GP practice with further information about the change.
Sources of advice and guidance for people with coeliac disease include:
- Coeliac UK – https://www.coeliac.org.uk/home/
- NHS – www.nhs.uk/conditions/coeliac-disease/
- The Association of UK Dietitians – www.bda.uk.com/resource/coeliac-disease-and-gluten-free-diet.html
This ICB decision does not affect the provision by local authorities for children who require a gluten-free diet at school.